Written questions

Oil: Fracking

Lords · Question HL1062 · Tabled 17 Jun 2026 · Department for Energy Security and Net Zero · Official record

Answered 1 Jul 2026

Question

Asked by Baroness McGregor-Smith

To ask His Majesty's Government how many years of oil reserves remain available for extraction in (1) the UK, and (2) the UK Continental Shelf, at current rates of consumption.

Answer

Answered by Lord Whitehead, 1 Jul 2026

The North Sea Transition Authority’s latest production projections, published in February 2026, indicate that the UK Continental Shelf could produce around 2.2 billion barrels of oil (bnbbl) between 2026 and 2050. This is equivalent to around five years o...